A new survey reveals almost three-quarters of Washington, D.C. cops are ready to quit the force, while violent crime is surging in New Yo...
A new survey reveals almost three-quarters of Washington, D.C. cops are ready to quit the force, while violent crime is surging in New York City amid growing anti-police sentiment.
Protesters across the country are calling for police departments to be abolished or defunded following the death of George Floyd, sparking violent clashes between cops and demonstrators.
Floyd's death has prompted politicians to pledge that they'll make radical changes to their police departments - a move which has angered many officers.
The Washington, D.C. Council passed an emergency police reform bill last week which expands the training requirements for officers and orders the public naming of cops involved in shootings.
The bill also adds legal protections for people who are searched by police, among a whole host of other changes.
Many D.C. police officers have been left disillusioned by the bill's passing, and feel as if they've been thrown under the bus by lawmakers.
A D.C. police union survey of 600 cops shows that a staggering 71 percent of them are now considering leaving the force, according to The Washington Examiner.
A D.C. police union survey of 600 cops shows that a staggering 71 percent of them are now considering leaving the force, according to The Washington Examiner. Cops from the department are seen patrolling a protest in the city earlier this month
Protesters across the country are calling for police departments to be abolished or defunded following the death of George Floyd, sparking violent clashes between cops and demonstrators. Pictured: a protest in D.C. on Friday
39 percent of those surveyed say they are considering leaving law enforcement altogether.
The poll also reveals widespread anger at lawmakers, with 98.7 percent of those polled saying they feel 'completely abandoned' by the D.C. Council.
Similarly, 96 percent of the surveyed officers believe crime rates will rise in D.C. due to the reforms.
Meanwhile, violent crime is on the rise in New York City, according to new statistics released by the NYPD on Thursday.
In May, overall crime was down when compared with the same month last year, but the number of murders, shootings and robberies have soared.
Robberies were up 34 percent in May 2020, while murders increased an astronomical 79 percent.
Meanwhile, shootings soared 64 percent in May - and it doesn't appear to be a brief spike sparked by a brief period of unrest.
A protester is pictured dressed up as a pig to mock NYPD officers during a protest in the Big Apple on Friday
A protester calls on lawmakers to abolish the police at a demonstration in New York City on Friday
A report in The New York Post shows shootings are still surging into June.
This week, there have been 28 reported shootings in New York City - up from 12 shootings recorded across the exact same period last year.
It comes after the NYPD plainclothes anti-crime unit was disbanded, and those specialists were reassigned to 'uniform patrol duties'.
As in D.C., New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is promising a suite of reforms for the nation's larges police department, including a shifting of funding from the NYPD to youth and social services.
'This is what the politicians wanted — no bail, nobody in Rikers, cops not arresting anyone. All those things equal people walking around on the street with guns, shooting each other,' one irate officer anonymously told The Post on Friday.
A report in The New York Post shows shootings are still surging into June. Police are gathered at the scene of shooting in Brooklyn on June 3, in which two officers were hit by gunfire
It comes after news NYPD cops may go on strike on July 4 so the city can have its 'independence' from them as tension continues to build between law enforcement and politicians.
Messages have been circulating among law enforcement officers in New York encouraging them to call out sick en masse on Independence Day.
'NYPD cops will strike on July 4th to let the city have their independence without cops,' reads one of the text messages sent among cops, according to the NY Post.
Multiple cops said they have been sent messages urging them to call out sick July 4, in retaliation for New Yorkers not 'honor[ing] us', the Post reported
'Cops that say we can't strike because of the Taylor Law,' reads one of the messages, which called for the strike to start at 3pm that day.
'The people and this city doesn't [sic] honor us why honor them [sic].'
The message references the Taylor Law - a New York State act which makes work stoppages punishable with jail time and fines.
A different message also calls for an Independence Day strike and talks about the #Bluflu - the slang name for a large sickout by cops.
'Police officers like you and me took an oath to protect strangers regardless of race, class or gender,' the message reads.
'Today we are vilified and must stand as one.'
The message goes on to give instructions to officers for calling in sick, the Post reported.
It tells them to first call their precinct and log a sick day.
The next step if this is denied is to call the main NYPD sick desk.
Finally, if that is also turned down, cops should show up for work and ask for an ambulance to take them home sick, the Post reported.
'If you are held because of the #Bluflu, request a bus and go sick from command,' the message adds.
It is not clear if the messages of encouragement have been written by other NYPD cops but Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch told the Post that New York cops 'have reached the breaking point.'
'Over the past few weeks, we have been attacked in the streets, demonized in the media and denigrated by practically every politician in this city,' Lynch said.
'Now we are facing the possibility of being arrested any time we go out to do our job.'
The NYPD is facing scrutiny after footage of protests over Floyd's death has shown multiple incidents of them violently responding to demonstrators.
Cop Vincent D'Andraia was charged with assault after he threw a female protester to the ground in an unprovoked attack in Brooklyn at the end of May.
In another incident in Brooklyn, an NYPD cruiser was seen deliberately plowing into protesters, ramming them out the way.
The potential walkout comes as the NYPD has come under fire after some officers have been caught on camera violently attacking protesters demanding an end to police brutality. Pictured above an NYPD cruiser deliberately plows into protesters
A burning NYPD van during protests in the city. Calls for the NYPD to be reformed or defunded altogether have been mounting
More than 350 officers have also been injured in recent weeks, as some protests have descended into rioting and violence.
Calls for police reform are sweeping the country and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a package of new bills for the state and an executive order mandating all local governments and police agencies develop and adopt plans to reform local police departments.
On Wednesday, De Blasio introduced new plans for the city's disciplinary database which by July will list out all 1,100 pending internal cases within the force, which are prosecuted by the department’s oversight agency the Civilian Complaint Review Board.
DCPI Spokesperson Sergeant Mary Frances O’Donnell told DailyMail.com officers will be protecting New Yorkers on July 4 as normal.
'New York City Police Officers will be here today, tomorrow, and on the 4th of July to protect all New Yorkers. To suggest otherwise is false,' O'Donnell said.
Atlanta police officers have been calling in sick to work this week in protest of charges against the cop who shot dead Rayshard Brooks. Atlanta cops above on June 13
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